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Retarius-class Frigate/Old Version
The Retarius-class Frigate was a space-faring, escort-grade vessel in use with the United Nations Space Command Navy. It was the direct successor to the aging Human-Covenant War-era frigate, which was officially retired by the late 2570s. Planning By 2558, the UNSC was badly in need of a number of new ships to replace their aging fleet, much of which had been in use since the early years of or even before the Human-Covenant War. The current frigate, though cost-effective, was highly obselete by modern standards. An up and coming company, NaTech Industries was elected to design and build a number of various warships while the decimated Reyes-Mclees Shipyards could recover. Approximately half a dozen unique ship designs rolled out in 2570. However, a few, including the new frigates, were too hastily designed and rejected. Development Though the UNSC navy was disgruntled with the new frigates, NaTech did not stop there. The stronger of the two frigates, nicknamed "Bugle", was deemed the new weaker frigate. Over the next twenty-one months, a number of renovations were made to the blueprints, making it more cost effective than its future stronger counterpart. In 2572, the new design for the frigate was submitted to the Office of Naval Intelligence for approval. The much happier ONI accepted the blueprint after eighteen days of intense examination and deemed the design the Retarius-class Guided-Missle Frigate after a type of ancient Roman gladiator. The first twelve ships of the class were put into production in 2573. Production The Retarius, through improvements, was produced through the 27th century and stayed in service for even longer through improvements, giving it the second longest usage span of all starships, trailing only behind the Parabola-class Freighter. In 2577, Reyes-McLees Shipyards began producing Retarius-class Frigates under contract with NaTech, the first of a few outside companies to do so. This allowed NaTech to keep up with the demand of the Retarius-class without having to build too many new shipyards, and they also profited from contracts with outside companies building their ships. By 2590, hundreds of these ships were in the UNSC Navy, and over fifty stripped down Retarius-class Frigates were used by defense contractors and as private escorts by freighting companies. In 2583, the first variant of the Retarius-class was introduced with dozens of minor improvements and one major improvement: the option to wield pulse-laser weaponry alongside other weapons systems, though the size and danger of applying these advanced (and expensive) technologies to a frigate was too risky for the UNSC. Ten years later, all ships of the class were installed with the new and much more capable M70 Slipspace Drive, capable of greater speeds. Though not a new iteration, the class was much better off to say the least. By 2614, the UNSC Navy unveiled its third iteration of the class. As the gruesome Second Great War drove on, older Retarius' were growing to be more and more unreliable and struggled to keep up with new technologies as many of its sibling-classes fell into the same crisis. The product of twenty-six months of research and development brought about the most powerful frigate yet. Armed with a heavy Pulse Laser Cannon, an improved Magnetic Accelerator Cannon, and a number of other weapons, the mark three's strength was a well needed improvement. Other upgrades include hanger upgrades to accommodate the deadly C3 Talon Interceptor and a number of upgrades to the different systems of the vessel, including the powerful and coveted M72 Slipspace Drive, the technology that brought the UNSC into a Tier-2 technology level. Advantages The Retarius-class Frigate boasts a number of improvements over many predecessors and some modern counterparts like the Protector-class Frigate, Unggoy Assault Ship, and Kenicc-class Frigate. It is larger than all other rival frigates except for the Protector-class, allowing for more cargo and/or weapons. The Retarius-class has a fairly sufficient number of shipboard fighters compared to other frigates, with an unmodified model carrying eight various fighters for engaging enemy ships, escorting dropships or the mothership, and attacking surface-based targets. Also, the Retarius-class is fitted with an armament than its Unggoy and Kig-Yar counterparts. Fourthly, the Retarius-class also has a large number of infantrymen and vehicles aboard for deployment to perform ground operations via dropship or Human Entry Vehicle. Lastly, this model also has a prototype pulse laser turret, further enhancing its ability in combat. These, along with a small number of other improvements make the Retarius-class Frigate an excellent ship, and captains of the class are proud to be in control of this ship. Disadvantages Though the Retarius-class has a number of advantages, these do not come without their disadvantages. First, as with any warship of any kind, the RC-Frigate is very costly despite its cost-effectiveness, as just one is as expansive as fielding two whole regiments of Marines for years. Second, the Retarius-class is still much weaker than cruisers, destroyers, and carriers, and at least two with expertly trained and experienced crews are needed just to match a Covenant Destroyer, let alone destroy it. And, unfortunately for the UNSC Navy, ships of said class rarely operate by themselves. The Retarius-class also lacks high-efficiency point defense weapons systems, making them vulnerable to enemy fighters and some missiles. Variants Mark I The standard model of the Retarius-class Frigate. It does not have any upgrades. Mark II - 2592 This upgrade was given to all UNSC active UNSC ships. Existing and future Retarii are outfitted with the M70 Slipspace Drive. They are also upgraded with numerous modernized components, including improved electrical systems, life support, and most importantly the capability of housing Super Smart A.I. These were very much identical to normal smart A.I. except their life span was three times longer. Mark III - 2613 This was an upgrade to a number slowly aging components. The primary upgrade is either an upgrade to the MAC cannon, raising its efficiency by 20%, or a replacement to the MAC, the Pulse Laser Cannon. Also, M22B Crossbow Missiles were added to the class, a slightly stronger variant that previously used. In additon, some ships of the class were given small amounts of weapons designed for orbital bombadment, almost always being the [[Longbow Orbital Bombardment Cluster Bomb|LOBCB. Lastly, a number of other systems including heating systems, electrical systems, a number of weapons systems, and crew comfortability aspects. Mark IV Mark V Mark VI Known Ships *UNSC Retarius *UNSC Cannon *UNSC Cherokee *UNSC Hephaestus *UNSC Memorandum Category: Halo: Infinity